Multiple University of Alabama at Birmingham programs were praised in a new U.S. News & World Report ranking released Tuesday, which highlighted the school’s graduate nursing, medical and engineering programs.

U.S. News Rankings of the Best Graduate School programs is designed for students looking to further their education beyond college. According to U.S. News, this year’s rankings emphasize the results that education can bring and a few new rankings were computed to help students make the best-informed decisions for their careers.

UAB placed No. 11 in Best Nursing Graduate programs and tied No. 125 for Best Engineering Graduate programs. UAB’s Master of Science in Nursing program offers four pathways: Nurse Midwifery, Nurse Practitioner, Health Systems Leader and Accelerated Master of Science in Nursing.

Its medical school was ranked as a Tier 2 for research and primary care, and was highly ranked for the number of its graduates who go on to practice in rural areas and amid health care shortages. The publication considers American medical schools on a four-tier system.

Other Alabama schools with high marks include Auburn University, which tied No. 84 in Best Nursing programs; the University of Alabama, tied No. 97 for Best Engineering program; and the University of Alabama at Huntsville, tied No. 125 for Best Engineering program.

Auburn’s business graduate program is ranked as No. 73 in the country.

“We are equipping future graduate students with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions in today’s competitive academic landscape,” said LaMont Jones, senior editor of education at U.S. News. “Our comprehensive graduate school rankings provide students with essential data to make one of the most consequential decisions of their lives. U.S. News remains committed to delivering transparent and data-driven assessments that empower students to find their perfect academic match.”

As students research course offerings and weigh schools’ attributes, they can use the information provided by the U.S. News website to compare concrete factors, such as student-faculty ratio and job placement success. The rankings are just a tool to supplement – not substitute for – careful thought and individual inquiry.

Breonna Atkins is a senior at Carver High School in Birmingham and a reporting intern at AL.com through the Birmingham Promise program.